Polish Culture Ministry cancels funding of Holocaust journal

WARSAW (JTA) — Poland’s Ministry of Culture and National Heritage will not continue funding a Holocaust journal.

The decision not to renew funding for the journal Holocaust Studies and Materials, published by Polish Center for Holocaust Research, was announced last week.

The Ministry of Culture provides grants for what it considers to be the most important national magazines. This year, however, the ministry changed the rules by which it allocates grants. The ministry decided that it will no longer support sociopolitical, religious, national, scientific or historical magazines.

Holocaust Studies and Materials has been funded by the Ministry of Culture since its inception eight years ago.

"So far the ministry grants have been a significant part of our budget," Jakub Petelewicz of the Center for Holocaust Research told JTA.

The Journal requested about $23,000 for Holocaust Studies and Materials in Polish, and $18,000 for the English edition, according to Petelewicz.

The journal is the only one in Poland dealing with issues of the Holocaust.

Culture Minister Bogdan Zdrojewski said on Wednesday that he will examine the issue. Earlier in the week, the Center for Holocaust Research filed an appeal against the ministry’s decision.